Lore

Pate is a self-proclaimed treasure hunter who roams around Drangleic searching for valuable loot. With an unknown motive behind him, it is uncertain if he is friend or foe.

Pate’s armor, shield and spear all strongly indicate that he does not wish to stand out, but why would that be?

His purpose is essentially the same as that of Patches the Hyena from Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls 1, he seeks to trick adventurers into traps so that he can pillage the loot from their corpses. However his strategy is more cunning than Patches’. He first greets the target as a friend, then ‘warns’ them about the trap that is ahead, but will always mention treasure. This effectively goads the adventurer into risking their life for the promised treasure (which admittedly does eventuate, just in case the adventurer does manage to survive, they cannot call Pate a liar), placing themselves in perilous circumstances to which Pate can benefit from. This is far more cunning than being directly culpable for the adventurer’s plight, which we can see in the cases of Patches, as even if they do die Pate will only have been the one to warn about the dangers.

It is very likely that Pate himself organises both the traps and the treasure for the situations he warns the player about. Alternatively he utilises an already existing circumstance. His armor indicates that Pate is meticulous in nature and incredibly calculating. All his equipment is designed to look common and hum-drum, but is in actual fact very well designed, heavily customised and always well built, despite appearances. This is in essence Pate’s character, a man who comes across as mild, friendly and hum drum, but in actual fact is cunning, calculating and anything but ordinary.

Pate’s deception spreads to his prowess in battle. We read from his spear description that this spear has accumulated power as if through the course of countless battles. Creighton will exclaim in surprise “Damn, you’re tougher than you look!” when he attacks Pate, and it is interesting that though Pate only tries to trap the player through guile therefore implying he is a coward in battle, in reality he has seen countless battles. Perhaps these scenes were created by those who survived his traps and sought to confront him face to face. A fate which happened to another ‘friend’ we meet in game…

Some time before the player arrives in Drangleic, Pate teamed up with a man known as Creighton of Mirrah, or Creighton, the Wanderer. The two of them joined forces, but we are never told why. It is possible that Pate held a strange ring which we know as the Ring of Thorns that Creighton coveted. It is easy to theorise that Pate may have pillaged the ring from one of his victims, like he did his armor. This is motivated is more likely than not because of Creighton’s outright desire to get the ring off the player should they kill Pate early and take it for themselves. Though alternative, perhaps the pair simply joined forces to try and obtain treasure. They share a pied-à-terre in Brightstone Cove Tseldora, a place probably chosen for its isolation, where they have stored the Engraved Gauntlets. We know from the description that these gauntlets are very valuable and sought after. So this may indicate that Creighton and Pate had a number of successes in their adventures before things went south.

Whatever the case, Pate certainly deceived Creighton who believed him to be a weak fool. Because of this, Creighton was trapped. Creighton will tell us that Pate took the first opportunity he had to try and off him, this is exactly what Pate does to the player the first time they meet in Forest of Fallen Giants. But Creighton managed to survive the trap and set one for Pate. Pate saw through this and once again deceived Creighton leaving him in his own trap, deeply wounding the ‘knight’s’ pride and driving him over the edge in his quest for vengeance. After we free Creighton, he will warn us about Pate and then begin his mission to end him. Later on we will encounter Pate, who will tell us that a man is out for his life. At the beginning of the conversation he will give us his armor and items if we have proved our prowess in battle alongside him. We can only assume that he gave us this equipment in the hopes of getting Creighton confused with us should we wear it. Things finally come to a head in Brightstone Cove where the two are found duelling to the death. Should we choose to kill Creighton, Pate will thank us and give us the key to his treasure, which seems like a genuine and kind gesture. However, true to form we will find that the treasure chest is trapped and Pate’s voice will leave us wanting revenge like Creighton did when he says “Ooh, that'll leave a nice scar!”

Theories

Why Pate gifts his gear to the player.

If you summon Pate to fight against the Last Giant, he'll give you his gear and his ring when you meet again at Earthen Peak. Creighton makes a point of emphasizing how unique Pate's ring is, and that you'd know it if you saw it. After you get the treasure in Earthen Peak, Pate will comment on how he knows someone is trying to kill him.

Is Pate giving you all this in the hopes that Creighton will be fooled? Did he hope that Creighton would believe you killed him (Pate) and thus be thrown off his vendetta? Or, Pate may have hoped that Creighton would attack you if you wore the ring, thinking you were Pate himself.

Character Symbolism

Pate and Creighton - one an eloquent and well-spoken backstabber, the other a violent and simplistic brute. We first meet Pate, a careful and cautious trickster who would rather make use of his wit than his strength in order to acquire wealth for himself, typically at the expense of others. Pate's character might even be reflected in the weapons he wields: A spear and shield, exemplary of the cautious Dark Souls players who would rather play it careful than courageous. On the other hand we have Creighton, a somewhat dense soul who has unintentionally locked himself away within one of his own traps due to his shortsighted bloodlust toward the man who wronged him. Much unlike Pate, Creighton carries no shield and instead has equipped himself with a simple yet deadly axe, very much a symbol of the more brash and brutal Dark Souls player. Creighton's ambitions are clearly to kill Pate, while Pate would prefer to slip away without unneeded conflict. This could perhaps be why Pate gifts the player with a full set of his own armor, perhaps hoping that Creighton's stupidity will cause him to mistake the player for Pate himself and kill the player while Pate makes a getaway. In the end the player must choose a side, but it is a choice between the better of two evils.

Dialogue

When first met in Forest of Fallent Giants before going into the trap
Hello there. Travelling all alone in these treacherous times?
Well, I hope you have a very good reason.
Oh, hogwash, who am I to judge? Hah…
My name is Pate.
I journey hither and thither…On a sort of… …treasure hunt, you might call it.
Be careful out there. There's talk of unsavoury bandits who prey upon travellers like yourself.

Oh yes, you be cautious if you go any farther.
There's treasure in there, for certain, but the entrance locks from behind.
I saw the same design earlier, and it's the same contraption, I'm sure.
I was with this warrior, you see, and he insisted that he go inside first.
The rather brusque fellow tried to swipe the loot for himself, but it trapped him inside.
I still have the gent's ring. I do hope he wasn't harmed.

I'll leave this one to you. I'm worried about what might be inside.

When talking after going through the trap in Forest of Fallent Giants
Well, I see you managed to escape.
I hope that brave warrior didn't come a cropper either.
Be careful out there. There's talk of unsavoury bandits who prey upon travellers like yourself.
Oh, but you should take this.
It allows Undead to call out for help to one another, across the fissures between worlds.
With luck, somebody will lend you a hand.

When talking after going through the trap in Forest of Fallent Giants, if you didn't talk to him first
I wanted to warn you of the trap down the way, but you walked right past me.
My name is Pate.
I journey hither and thither…On a sort of… …treasure hunt, you might call it.
Be careful out there. There's talk of unsavoury bandits who prey upon travellers like yourself.
Good to see you safe.

When met in Earthen Peak
Well, we meet again.
There's treasure this way… But I've a bad feeling about it.
I don't quite have the guts myself! Hah hah…

When talking after getting the treasure in Earthen Peak
Well, good to see that you survived.
Perhaps you're more rugged than I thought.
In any case, the treasure is yours. Since you went ahead, and took the leap.
I prefer a more cautious approach. It's hard to know who to even trust these days.
For instance, I've heard that a man is out for my life.
Now, what misunderstanding could have ever led to that?
The poor bloke must have quite an imagination. Heh…
You be careful, too, my friend. For trust can be a dangerous thing.

When talking after helping him kill Creighton
What misunderstanding could have caused this?
Well. Thank you. I owe you my life.
My little pied-à-terre lies beyond here.
You'll find some of my treasures there. Help yourself to those that suit you.
Here, use this key.
Be cautious on your travels.

When talking after he kills Creighton without player help
What was he thinking?
I haven't done a thing.

When the player opens the trapped chest in Brightstone Cove Tseldora
Ooh, that'll leave a nice scar!

When giving equipment to the player
We went through a lot together. Take these, as a token of our friendship.
Don't be shy, they were meant for you…Heh heh…

When attacked but not aggroed
Eek!

What the devil's…!

Now, stop that!
When attacked and aggroed
Oh, I can scrimmage, my friend.

Sources

Creighton Dialogue
"Who are you? I thought you were that bastard for a moment. You've set me free. Now I can find him. The cheeky prick. He won't know what hit him."
"I am Creighton, of Mirrah. I travel from land to land to hone my blade. I've heard this land was full of danger. I thought it would suit me perfectly. I joined forces with a man on the way, but he was no more than a back-stabbing knave. He took the first chance he had to try and off me. I decided to set a trap for him here, but then I got trapped myself. I can't believe that I was so dense. Thank the stars that you came along."
"You be careful of him. Pate, I think he said. He wears this rather unusual ring. You know it when you see it. I've seen his type before. He kills entirely for the pleasure of it. I'm sure I won't be his last victim. The man's better off dead, I tell you. He's a slick talker, so don't let him fool you."
"Pate, the man with the strange ring. Watch out for the slimy rat. And don't you believe a word he says. I'll find the common footpad, and put an end to his roguery. Heh heh."

Pate's Armor
Although it appears to be common armor, it has in fact been meticulously customized. Belonged to mild-mannered Pate. This has been considerably altered. Perhaps it was pillaged.

Pate's Spear
A long spear wielded by Pate. This appears to be a very ordinary spear, but seems to have accumulated power over the course of countless battles. It is not always advisable to stand out. Especially if you have something to hide.

Pate's Shield
Pate's favorite greatshield. Appears rather humdrum, but in fact was forged by layering thin sheets of iron, a process that creates a shield with excellent defense for its weight. It is not always advisable to stand out. Especially if you have something to hide.

Ring of Thorns
Ring granted protection by Kremmel, god of Struggle. The ring's spikes drive into the wearer's skin, so that each blow taken fuels spite toward the perpetrator. When damage is taken, the ring retaliates and inflicts damage upon enemy.